Things Change: cruor est lucus quam unda
by sprinkles-the-magic-bunny
Summary: What happens when your enemies become your friends and your friends become your enemies? A story of love, betrayal, truth, lies and deception. Post HBP. Slash, Abuse, Angst, AU/AR, H/C, Language, Violence, WIP. Draco/OC, Harry/Ron, Luna/Ginny, Herm/Nevil
1. Chapter 1: Blood

_**Things Change:**_

_**cruor****est****lucus quam unda**_

_Chapter One_

_**Blood**_

She had left again.

Lupin walked into the kitchen, across to the counter and put the kettle on. He glanced at the old Victorian clock perched precariously on the mantelpiece. It rang out 3 'o clock, chiming melodically as he sat down at the table. Resting his elbows down, he cupped his head in his hands. Lupin had never asked Tonks where she went or who she was with, he needed to be alone sometimes and assumed it was the same for her. But recently she had been going more and more often even several times a day. It worried him. Tonks had become a shell of her former self over the last few weeks; her hair had turned a mousey brown colour and her appearance was well, ordinary, so ordinary she blended into the background so one almost forgot she was even in the room. She had bitten her nails so bad they had begun to bleed and worst of all she couldn't look at his face anymore. He had no idea what the hell was going on, he had tried talking to her about it but she just brushed him off with a half hearted excuse. His eyes closed and silence filled the tiny room.

A loud thud brought Lupin back to himself, opening his eyes he realised he must have fallen asleep. Tonks brushed the soot from her clothes and took a step out of the fireplace then she faltered. Standing rooted to the spot, swaying slightly, eyes wide and unseeing.

"Oh my god, what's happened?!" his voice a fear filled whisper. "God, it's Harry, isn't it?"

She shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. All of the colour had drained from her face, she looked like a ghost, scaring Lupin beyond belief compelling him to rush over and comfort her. Flinching, she shrank away from him as if he was about to hurt her.

"What then? One of the Weasleys?!"

Another shake of her head.

"Then what's going on?!"

Tonks shook her head again in disbelief, tears were threatening to spill and she wrung her hands absent mindedly.

"It... can't have happened... no...but I saw... she...she's...dead..." Her voice trailed off almost inaudible. She began to shake violently, tears flowing freely in silent sobs. He couldn't bare this, the pain in Tonks' voice was like a knife stabbing at his heart. He walked the remaining few steps over to her and pulled her into a tight embrace. Lupin held her shaking figure in the silence of the small shabby kitchen, trying to comfort her without knowing what he should be doing. She buckled and they fell together clinging onto each other, falling to their knees. The stone flagged floor was cold and hard against their limbs but neither could move, Tonks face was pressed against Lupin's chest, holding onto him as if afraid that when she let go he would disappear, this surprising feeling made Lupin uncomfortable. He loved her so much, he couldn't live without her, but how could he reassure her of this, what had happened to her. She was an auror, she had dealt with all manner of dark and disturbing things, this must be bad...

"Who?" His tentative whisper cut through the air. Tonks tried to gulp down a few of the sobs wracking her body, but she couldn't calm down no matter how hard she tried. She couldn't stop herself from replaying what had happened.

* * *

The blood.

Her best friend's blood.

Dripping from the walls,

Stains on the carpet,

The bloody handprint on the glass of the window,

Blood everywhere.

She couldn't tear her eyes away; she couldn't get the vision out of her head.

Make it stop! Oh please make it stop! This has got to be a dream, it can't be real, I won't let it be real! Oh my god. Please don't let it be real

But it was.

* * *

Lupin's arms tightened against her body, bringing Tonks back to the present. They knelt together in silence, watching the sun rise, casting sinister shadows across the walls, drenching them in blood red light. As the birds began to stir in their nests, the spell-like trance had broken. Lupin pulled his beloved wife up from the ground, trying to shake off the aches and pains that the stone floor had brought on. He couldn't handle this alone, he needed some help, he needed to find out what was going on, he needed to get help for Tonks. 

He gently manoeuvring her fragile figure to the fireplace, Lupin grabbed a handful of green power from an unremarkable pot on the mantelpiece and threw it into the fire.

"We're going to the Burrow, they will help, go on darling, I'll follow."

Ushering her into the fireplace she whispered her destination and was gone. Lupin took a deep breath and followed, apprehensive of what he would discover when he arrived. He hoped beyond hope they were all O.K, that they were all alive...

* * *

Harry had just re-entered the room holding a tray of tea and biscuits, he sat down on the lumpy sofa and passed a mug to both Ron and Hermione. They had arrived back at Grimmauld Place late last night. Having woken, they had met each other in the living room and had been discussing recent events and possible plans for the past hour. It was the 31st August already; they had achieved almost nothing since leaving Hogwarts last year...since Dumbledore's death. They knew they had to find Voldemort's horcruxes, to defeat him. Harry had tried so hard to persuade his two best friends that he must go it alone, but they just wouldn't listen, finally he had given in but only because of something Hermione had voiced. 

_Harry, now listen to me, no seriously. You know we want to go with, to help you, and you won't be able to stop us anyway, but here's the thing. There's a reason why Dumbledore told you to confide in us about your lessons last year. It's the same reason why Dumbledore always went on about love being the most powerful thing, the one thing that can defeat Voldemort. Don't look at me like that, just think logically. Harry we love you, you're our friend and part of our families, we would all die for each other- not that we plan to... The three of us together are more powerful than just Voldemort because we love; we love each other and want something more, more than just power or fame. We want to protect the ones we love and because of that we are more powerful than he will ever be, because he's only out for himself and because he's incapable of loving._

That speech had finally got to him, had finally defeated his strong resolve because deep down he knew it to be true, and although it pained him to put his friends in danger, he knew it couldn't be any other way, to help him save the ones he cared about and that included the two of them. A stubborn voice penetrated his thoughts;

"What do you think Harry?"

"Err...sorry I missed that, what did you say?"

"Hmph. We were brainstorming, trying to work out what the other horcruxes are... and where they could be."

"Oh, yeah. Well, we know that there are seven of them- from the lessons. Obviously one is Voldemort himself, and Dumbledore said his snake was one as well. Those will have to be the last ones we get. The ring and the diary are already destroyed and we have yet to find the locket..." Harry paused trying to gather his thoughts, pained by the memory of Dumbledore's death, and then after all that, to find the locket was a fake...

"Um, and the cup- Hufflepuff's cup, that's probably one, and the diadem- Ravenclaw's diadem, that was rumoured to be one..."

"But the diadem, how? It's been lost for centuries. I suppose Voldemort could have had the power to get it but still, oh I don't know." Hermione finished lamely, wracking her brain for an unreachable answer to the problem.

It made sense these items- something from Slytherin-the locket (1) and the ring (2), something from Hufflepuff-the cup (3), something from Ravenclaw-the diadem(the only thing Ravenclaw ever felt was worth her trouble) (4), and he failed to get anything from Gryffindor as Dumbledore wouldn't let him come back to the school, he never got the sword. So the diary was a record of his own importance, the snake was a last ditch attempt, and signified his strength of parseltongue and himself. They all were objects of importance- somehow significant to himself. But how to find the remaining ones...that was definitely the problem...

"And once we find them, how do we know what kind of traps there will be, there obviously will be some. I just feel so unprepared." Hermione spoke apprehensively.

"Before, with Dumbledore..." Another long silence took hold before Harry carried on, "the wall, needed blood, then the inferi, and the potion to cause pain, Dumbledore said Voldemort fears death and pain more than anything else-so that's probably the sorts of stuff we'll encounter."

"Blood magic...that's what worries me the most..." Hermione's voice was almost a whisper.

"Why? Dumbledore told me it was just crude..." Harry replied thoughtfully.

"Well, yes it is... but still it is very old magic- it has the potential to be very powerful, almost as powerful as the magic your mum used to save you Harry, that's why...it worries me."

Ron fidgeted in his seat, his stomach started to churn. He hated it when there was no next step, no plan, it made him uncomfortable, made him feel as though they had become a sitting target. They had to have a next step, they needed help to work out where to look next.

"We should go back to the Burrow, Bill may be able to help...I know we shouldn't involve others but we don't have to tell him exactly what's going on do we?"

"Ron you're right, we need some help on this, these discussions are getting us nowhere." Hermione replied, defeat washing over her.

"That's decided then, we'll leave once it's properly morning, anyone for an early breakfast?" Harry's comment seemed to ease the mood; they traipsed into the kitchen and set about making a full breakfast fit for a king.

* * *

He couldn't stop the blood, it was pouring out of the wounds relentlessly no matter how hard he tried to close the gashes in the skin. He tried every incantation, spell, everything he knew it just wouldn't stop. 

_You can't die now, not now, you just can't._

Then it came to him, the one thing he hadn't tried yet. He took a deep breath, praying that this was the answer; if it wasn't then death would surely win the battle. Slowly he raised his wand, and with deep concentration, more than he had ever exerted before he began to sing the wound healing spell.


	2. Chapter 2: Disappearances

_Chapter Two_

_**Disappearances**_

"Oh wow, well dearies it's lovely to see you, but, what brings you here?" Mrs Weasley yammered on at the trio. Smiling serenely as she wiped down her hands on the flowery apron.

"Well, we were actually hoping to catch Bill. Have you seen him lately?" Hermione tried to sound as natural as possibly, but seeing Mrs Weasley's questioning glance she hastily added, "no, no, it's just a little something we wanted to ask him, nothing important." Mrs Weasley shook her head absentmindedly still harbouring a curious expression on her face.

"Well, you'll be wanting some breakfast then, I guess..."

"Actually mum, we've already eaten" replied Ron. Her hurt expression caused them all to shift uncomfortably, guilt coursing through them.

"But, we'd love a cup of tea, your tea is the best, you know." Harry said enthusiastically. Her face warmed immediately, as she proceeded to waltz around the cosy kitchen turning on the radio with a flick of her wand, to then turn her attention on the kettle. The three teenagers sat down around the large dining table, patiently waiting for their refreshments.

The back door slammed open, stunning them all, they twisted round to face the intruder. As soon as Mrs Weasley caught eye of the figure dimming the light from the doorway she dropped her wand to the floor with a clatter. She sprang towards her pasty looking husband, her face full of concern.

"Molly..." he stuttered, barely composed, " you better sit down."

She sat, full of questions she was too afraid to ask, waiting.

"It's the twins. They're...missing." Instinctively Molly looked up at the family clock. _Travelling? _Harry, Ron and Hermionesat in stunned silence, unable to process the information. Mr Weasley combed his hand through his hair, lost for words. He had barely even walked through the door of his shabby office, when the cruel tone on the loudspeaker had brought him the bad news. He had rushed to the twins shop, dread in his heart at what was left for him.

"There's more, what... what is it?" Molly wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer to this question.

"I, um, went to their shop, it..."He took a deep breath, trying to quell the shake in his voice, before continuing, "...it looked like there had been some kind of fight."

Mrs Weasley turned a paler shade of white if that was at all possible. Her eyes downcast, her husband looked around the rest of the room. Coming upon the intent gazes from the rest of the company he spoke again.

"The front door had been shattered, forced entry to an extreme. Shelves all over the place, merchandise scattered around everywhere. A total mess. We looked around but they just weren't there." Mr Weasley let his head lower in defeat.

"But... we'll there wasn't any blood and they weren't there, they probably got away..." Mrs Weasley gazed up at Hermione hopefully; turning her fragile gaze upon her husband her hopes were instantly crushed.

"There was blood...alot of blood."

The silence that proceeded seemed to become an actual presence in the room. Squashing everyone deeper into their own grim thoughts.

* * *

She was gone. 

He had searched everywhere he could think of. There was no sign at all. His breath quickened as he lost his fight with the panic he had been trying to contain for most of the day.

They had got her.

He glanced around one last time, but only the dark streets of London met his gaze. With the decision already made he prepared to leave for his next destination.

POP

He walked into the kitchen of his new surroundings and turned on the lights with the flick of his wand. Eyes drawn to the counter-top his stomach dropped. A few tears escaped, meandering down his cheeks as he stared at it. The harsh light coated the room in a white light, giving a sterile look to the room. Apprehensively he inched closer to the crumpled, dirty note. His hand outstretched he reached for it, his hand shaking as he silently read the note. A tiny gasp left his lips when he came to the signature at the bottom.

* * *

Harry, Ron and Hermione still sat around the Weasley's dining table, the initial shock over from the loss of the twins. Mr and Mrs Weasley had left together to continue the search, dread filling their every thought, leaving the trio to themselves. 

"I should have gone with." Ron's voice still portrayed some of the earlier shock.

"You know we wouldn't have been any help. We have to carry on. It's the only thing we can do to help them now. They would have wanted us to." Hermione tried to choose her words carefully, but as she spoke Ron's face began to redden.

"No, we could have looked for them! How the hell is this gunna help them?!?! We don't even know what to do next!!!!!"

"Godric's Hollow." Harry's voice was steady and deliberate.

"What? Harry we told you before. There's probably traps and Merlin knows what..." Hermione's reply was cut off by Harry's deadly tone.

"It's our only option. We'll know where to go once we've been there." The twins disappearance momentarily forgotten the trio broke out into a loud row.

A fire jumped into being in the grate, glowing green embers supported a small shadow. This development surprised them all, even more so when Tonks followed by Lupin walked out of the fireplace and each took up seats opposite the trio at the table. Tonks seemed to be in some kind of shock, while Lupin tried to reach her unsuccessfully. Hermione asked what happened but as Lupin relayed what had happened earlier everyone came up at a loss. After telling Lupin about the twins and that Ron's parents had gone to search for them the mood grew even more sombre. Deciding to wait for Mr and Mrs Weasley the stared at the table, each enveloped in a shroud of their own disturbing thoughts.

* * *

"What the hell did you do to us?" 

"Where is this place?"

"Who the hell are you?"

"Untie us now!!!"

"_Ok, ok, __it's just you would never have come otherwise. I need help. I'm...sorry."_ The voice was distant and it echoed around the walls even though it was no more than a whisper. Immediately the ropes that bound them began to untie, snaking around their bodies. Once free they were able to get up and move around, drawing their wands cautiously trying to find the owner of the disembodied voice. One stumbled, the other stopped dead.

"Oh...shit...what the...so much..." His voice was laced with fear.

"...blood..." Both voices echoed as one, shaky but clear none the less. They had to get out of where ever this was and fast.

_Lum__o__s_

A stark white light lit the horrifying scene before them. Both recoiled slightly as they looked down at the blood covered floor.

_"Please...help...please." _

* * *

Cold air sped into the cosy kitchen as the wearied husband and wife entered. Mr and Mrs Wealsey looked at the trio, tears glistening in their eyes. Without needing to ask, Mr Weasley answered the unspoken questions that hung in the air. 

"We can't find any trace of them." He exhaled and went on, "and we can't find Bill and Fleur. Apparently he didn't come into work today, and no-one has seen Fleur in their village."

Mrs Weasley burst into uncontrollable tears, unable to comfort her Mr Weasley gently guided her over to a chair. Everyone was stunned into an uncomfortable silence. How much more of this could they take? And what was going on? Why is everyone disappearing and how?

No-one could bear to be the one to mention what they were all thinking. You-know-who was getting to them. Hunting them down. One by one. All slowly disappearing. Recently he had been gathering great forces, wreaking all manner of evil upon the wizarding world and the unsuspecting muggle world had suffered the consequences too. It had begun bad, but now it was worse. With the mass breakout at Azkaban all his former followers were loose, combining with new support, his force was beginning to take over everything, even the ministry had been subject to a range of terrible and messy incidents.


	3. Chapter 3: Falling Appart at the Seams

_Chapter Three:_

**_Falling Apart at the Seam__s_**

_Authors note:__ In case anyone was wondering I thought I'd randomly explain the name of this story;_

_Things Change: __cruor __est__lucus__ quam __unda_

_Well the first part is obvious..._

_The second is Latin for: Blood is thicker than water_

_Anyway- on with the story..._

* * *

The normal hustle and bustle of shoppers eager to make their way around the isles and to the checkouts as quickly as possible surrounded the young woman. She had been nervous at first, but finally the fluttering in her stomach subsided and she began to settle into the swing of things. She had been pleasantly surprised when the manager had asked her if she could start right away-literally. It was thoroughly enjoyable for her to be at some kind of work, giving her back a freedom she had never really experienced before. Eager to do a good job, she buckled down to the task at hand, smiling at the new face in front of her.

* * *

Back at the Weasley's, the whole household was in uproar. Mr Weasley had begun pacing again, while his wife sat, hands covering her face in silent tears. The trio hadn't moved for hours but had no intention to stop trying to think of new ways to find the missing members of the Weasley family. Lupin and Tonks sat to one side around the dining table, silent as graves, their faces stony, giving away nothing.

* * *

Bill was red in the face and absolutely furious as he ran down the busy London street. As soon as he had read the note he had hastily to the city eager to find his wife. He arrived at his destination, slowed down and took a deep breath before entering. People swarmed everywhere despite the early hour. He was almost overturned as a tiny woman, with flowing grey hair and a trolley, pushed past him, desperate to find the cat food quickly. Bill walked down the isles searching for the beautiful blonde hair of his wife. Suddenly he spotted a shimmer and immediately directioned himself towards its source. He saw her, relaxed and sitting with the blue T-shirt and the bright orange logo of Sainsbury's on her chest. 

"Fleur you've scared me half to death, I'm taking you home. Now." His voice was full of authority, though inside he was shaking with a mix of fear and anger.

"Oh heya honey! I can't just now, I've still got ten minutes of my shift and the manager will go berserk if I tried to leave before that."

Bill gave his wife one his most stern look, but it melted into nothingness as he gazed into her puppy dog eyes.

"Please?" Her tuneful voice broke his resolve and he agreed to stay, waiting at the end of her till, until she was allowed to go home.

The next customer approached Fleur's till, a large roguishly hansom man, which she smiled to.

"Hello, can I help you with your packing today?"

Bill crossed his arms, set a intimidating facial expression and began the long ten minutes for the shift to be over.

Time passed like one of Snape's potions classes and dragged for what felt like hours. Finally it was over and Fleur was ready to leave. Bill made sure to stick to her and that she made her way to a safe stop for him to apparate home, without any muggles noticing or getting in the way. _Charlie's __gunna__ be in BIG trouble when I find him for putting thoughts like that into my __Fluer's__ head. I swear!_

* * *

The sunlight poured into the kitchen of the Burrow and with the light of the new day brought with it some guests. 

"Charlie, Ginny!" Molly Weasley ran to her children and embraced them in a tight tear stained hug. Mr Weasley waled to his children and laying his hands on their shoulders told them,

"Merlin, we're just so happy to see the two of you."

Quizzical faces framed the two new persons in the cosy home. They exchanged glances, then Ginny answered one from her oher brother Ron, who was sitting at the table with his two best friends.

"I stayed over at Luna's and met Charlie on the way home, what's going on? Why the great homecoming gathering?"

But before anyone could answer a loud POP echoed around the room. Bill and Fleur found themselves hardly able to breathe under his mothers embrace, before anyone had even the chance to say hello.

"I'm so sorry mum, we didn't make it to dinner. CHARLIE has to answer for that one." He now faced his brother as Molly let the embrace drop, giving Charlie a questioning look.

"HE got it into Fleur's head that she should get a job, she upped and left with a quick note, which I didn't find until after I'd spent hours already looking for her. I found her in Sainsbury's of all places, at a till!"

"Now, now, hold on a minute I CAN think for myself baby. AND it's not anyone's fault but your own that you didn't look for a note first." Fleur's response that was meant to quell the argument-in- the- making did nothing of the sort and was promptly ignored by all parties involved.

"Now you can't blame me for that! I don't control your wife and apparently your word doesn't count much either!" Charlie had turned as red as Bill and was as angry too.

"Why you little-" Bill had begun to move towards Charlie.

"STOP!!!" Mrs Weasley's voice rang out clearly for half the neighbourhood to hear, and probably frightened a few nearby rabbits as well.

"Not now. I mean it! Bill where are the twins? Why didn't you bring them back with you? It was very irresponsible for you to not contact us, you know we worry."

"Wha...? Mum, I haven't seen the twins since last weekend, what's going on?"

The weight hit her swiftly, she half-sat half- fell into the nearest chair, while all the others present in the room found the floor suddenly very interesting to look at.

* * *

The twins couldn't leave the mess, no matter how much they personally hated their captor. With a face that was such a deathly pale white, and the sheer amount of blood around them, all they wanted was to run away and hide, but they knew better. They could let this death hang over them. 

"How can we help? What do you need?" Fred's voice shook as he spoke, his twin encouraged him with a slight nod of the head.

"I um, er, shit, don't you know any charms? Anything? I could only stop the blood for a little bit, now it won't sttttopppp..." Violent tears spilled from their captor, rendering them unable to speak. Now it was George's turn to voice his opinion,

"I...no. But we can get some supplies, water, bandages, you can't go so I will, Fred can try anything he can think of while I'm gone." He left as soon as he had finished speaking. He ran with all the speed of his body could must right down to the nearby lights of a village..._Hogsmade_

Meanwhile, Fred had knelt over the body and tried all the minor healing spells he could call to mind, knowing these wounds were far beyond his ability to heal. Nothing seemed to work.

Sometime later, Fred returned with armfuls of bandages and bottles of water. They cleaned the wounds and dressed them with the bandages, but no sooner as they had finished, blood began to soak through. George began to speak,

"We need to do something, none of this is working, we all need to go and-"

"No, I can't...I can't leave..."

* * *

Voldemort's voice rang out into the fresh morning's air, crisp and clear as he talked down to the small cloaked figure before him. 

"Now my child, I know you don't have much time, tell me what you can and quickly. They will know you have left soon."

"Harry Potter, the red head and the book-girl are going to Godrick's Hollow. I set a spell on the light fittings to record conversations."

"Very good. You will be rewarded my young apprentice. You may leave."

"Thank you my Lord." The figure bowed, touched the dark mark on the skin of the stomach and apparated back to the room they had meant to be in all along. With no-one any the wiser of their presence having been absent.

* * *

"...her..." 

The twins nodded their understanding and desperately tried more spells before formulating a new plan of action. Their captor wept as he replaced the already sodden bandages, while the twins crouched away from the woman's body and discussed their options.


	4. Chapter 4: Determination

_Chapter Four:_

_**Determination**_

A new day arose and there was still no sign of the twins at the Burrow. Mr Weasley, his three other sons and Harry had returned five minutes previously from yet another unfruitful search for the missing family members and were now gloomily standing around the kitchen.

Mrs Weasley, Ginny, Hermione and Fleur all set the aromatic breakfast on the table, and sat, though none of them had retained any appetite. The silence was obtrusive and played on many of their minds. The two empty chairs ever present. All occupants of the kitchen wondering if the twins were even alive... Molly glanced up at the family clock for about the hundredth time that day, both the twins hands were back with the rest of the families hands- at mortal peril. It told her nothing, they could be dead, in real trouble or just like the rest of the family- in mortal peril due to the dark lord's return.

"Where's Lupin and Tonks?" Ron whispered over to Hermione, much louder than he had anticipated. Molly Weasley was the one to answer him,

"They're in the living room, dear, there's something wrong with Tonks but we can't figure out what it is." Her voice was filled with worry for her friend.

The day wore on much the same, until Mr Weasley finally gave in.

"I... can't think of what else to do, this isn't working. I'm going to the ministry to see if anyone has heard anything, maybe get some more help." His voice was horse and filled with pain.

"But dad, we don't know who we can trust at the ministry anymore. We already know for definite that there's been some infiltration by _him_." The concern came from Bill, but was swiftly quelled.

"I know but, there's nothing else for it. We should have done this hours ago, I hoped they would just appear and it would have all been a joke but I should know better by now. If _he _has them, then it will be no surprise to some, and little worry to them if that isn't the case."

"Well, you're not going alone, me and Bill will come with, the rest should probably stay here, just in case they come back." Charlie spoke deliberately, trying to help the others hold on to their unfounded hopes that the twins would still come back unharmed.

* * *

George sat away from the others, in the damp cave lit only by wand light. Now he had never really liked his captor but really what did it matter now? Someone was hurt and they needed help, why was it bothering him so much? Maybe it really was because deep down he knew that they didn't know enough to save this life. 

"Did you hear something?" Fred's voice sounded worried. George moved his gaze towards the cave entrance, he had been to enveloped in his thoughts to hear anything.

"No...wait-"

Now it was apparent, a slight crunching sound could be heard over the whistle of the wind, like footsteps. They were getting louder, the footsteps coming nearer.

"This is not good, what if they've found her and are coming back to finish the job?!" Fred's voice squeaked slightly in his panic. Their captor shuddered at this comment and their possible doom.

"We... we have to all leave now, even if they are you're friends they won't help me..." Their captor was right, but... _isn't it too dangerous for wounds that bad to go through __apparation_

"But what about her? She can't go through apparition!" Fred's voice echoed his twins thoughts.

"There's no other way..."

Evenyone paused for a moment contemplating their chances, the footfalls grew even louder, almost at the mouth of the cave.

"...ok, I guess, but still..." George couldn't believe they were going to attempt this, surely it would only make the bleeding worse?

"To the Burrow then, they'll be able to help her much better than we can"

"No, they won't even try...it has to be somewhere else."

"I hate to admit it George but he's right we can't go to the Burrow, just some other hiding place I suppose unless...didn't Moody once mention that Ms Longbottom, Neville's grandmother was an excellent healer from the last dark times? We should go see her!" Fred's voice suddenly filled with hope. There was no time for them to think beyond this, the stranger had almost found them.

"Quick then, the footsteps are almost here!" George grabbed hold of their captor, who in turn held onto the mutated body, and disappeared with a POP, swiftly followed by the other twin.

* * *

Once the party had departed to the ministry, the trio looked at each other and made their excuses (Something about needing to visit Luna). They walked out the yard and away from the view of the house. Stopping at the crossroads, Hermione turned to face the others. 

"Are you sure? I mean I know we talked about it and all but... you know... and I've barely prepared at all..." Ron sniffed, annoyed that she thought two months weren't enough time to prepare, they had been talking of this ever since Dumbledore's death.

"Yes Hermione," Harry replied tonelessly, "the only way to help the twins now is to defeat Volde-"

"Oh Harry don't! Not now, don't say his name" her voice had turned shrill.

"Fine. We've got to find the horcruxes and the only place to go from here is obvious, it's the only place I can think of that Dumbledore would have left clues to help..." He stopped himself before he gave in completely to whining.

"I agree with Harry. Let's go." Ron was full of grim determination; blotches of red covered his face through lack of sleep and concern for his brothers. They all gathered around Hermione, as of yet she was the only one who had passed her apparition examination. She quickly rummaged through her usual magically inside-enlarged handbag which she had begun to keep with her all the time-in case of emergencies. All the books she could think to bring were inside, she pushed past them just to check she had everything- clothes, tent, tinned food, foe-glass, sneakoscope, the invisibility cloak- she pulled it out and covered them all, just in case. Holding onto Harry and Ron's arms they apparated. The tight tube-like feeling compressed them all. Breathlessly they opened their eyes.

_So this is __Godric's__ Hollow... _thought Harry.

* * *

"Quick! We need to get her out of the chill air!" 

As soon as they had arrived, chill had hit them-probably due to being high up on a mountain-side, snow already covered the frost bitten ground. The small bloody bundle in their captor's arms started to shake uncontrollably. _We have to get help now!_

"Which one?!" panic had set in. Fred and George glanced over at each other, then back at the other man.

"43" they echoed in unison.

They scurried through the abandoned streets as quickly as they dared, searching for the allusive house, their eyes focusing only on house numbers. Rounding a corner Fred suddenly let out an animalistic screech and ran the rest of the way to a building on the opposite side of the street. The street looked identical to all the others they had seen; neat rows of houses, well kept gardens and whitewashed brickwork. It took a few moments for the others to catch onto why Fred's mood had changed so suddenly. Peering closer, though, a small bronze number 43 sat on top of the tiny white gate. They caught up to Fred, who was now standing on the doorstep, having knocked briefly on the red door. Their captor hung back, reluctant to meet the grandmother he had heard so much about, knowing what her grandson thought about him, let alone the person in his arms no doubt, but the fragile life he held was slipping away, this was the last chance to save her. The door opened with a slight creak, spilling light onto the snow covered doorstep.

"Hello?"

* * *

Harry pulled the cloak off at once, shivering with the cold that hit his body like a thousand knives. 

"Harry!" Hermione's voice was a desperate whisper, but he was far to absorbed in the vision that beheld the place where he had lived as a baby- with his family.

"Shit..." Ron felt the cold hit him too. He had visited Godric's Hollow a few times as a child, as it was one of the largest Wizarding towns left in existence in England- but something was wrong...the air tasted wrong...


End file.
